This Thanksgiving, We’re Thankful For: Philadelphia’s Firsts

(From top) Pennsylvania Hospital and the Philadelphia Zoo: Both firsts in their fields. (All photos by B. Krist)

Between the city’s museums, outdoor activities, restaurants, rich history and cultural quirks, Philadelphia is quite the catch. So, in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, we’re going to shine a light on all things Philly for which we’re thankful. (There’s a lot.) Today, it’s Philadelphia’s lengthy list of historical firsts.

Dear Trendsetter,
I feel you â€” itâ€™s nice to say you were the original. Philly boasts some notable firsts, too.

1. One-man invention factory Benjamin Franklin developed the first bifocal glasses, Daylight Savings Time and the Franklin Stove. He also established the first public hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, in 1751 and the first fire department in 1736.

10. ENIAC, the worldâ€™s first computer, was developed more than 50 years ago at the University of Pennsylvania. Modern, easy-to-transport laptops seem light years ahead of this 150-foot-wide computer.

11. Wanamakerâ€™s (now Macyâ€™s) opened as the nationâ€™s first department store.

12. The Childrenâ€™s Hospital of Philadelphia, commonly called â€œCHOP,â€ opened as the first childrenâ€™s hospital in the U.S. in 1855.

13. Motherâ€™s Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia in 1907.

14. The first Jewish congregation in the city, Mikveh Israel was established in the 1740s and remains one of the oldest in the nation.

15. Founded in 1791 by Reverend Richard Allen, Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church was the worldâ€™s first African Methodist Episcopalian Church. Itâ€™s set on the oldest parcel of African-American-owned land in the country.